His father tells the local paper, the New Hampshire Union Leader, that bullies at Concord High School threatened to beat the boy if he didn't submit to the tattoo.

According to the father, the boy has attention deficit disorder and has been habitually bullied by older students.

The bullies allegedly told him they would quit harassing him if he got a tattoo showing the outline of a male sex organ and offensive terms. If he refused to get the tattoo, the father tells the paper, they vowed to "kick the crap out of him."

The father and mother reportedly learned what happened two days later after a teacher overheard students talking about the incident in the hall. Cell phone images of the tattoo have also been circulating, the father tells the Union Leader.

"Honestly, when I heard this on the phone, I was so distraught, I left work immediately," the father tells the paper.

The parents took the boy to a doctor to be checked out, and while he is physically fine, it will cost thousands of dollars to remove the tattoo.

Teachers reportedly want to pay for the laser treatments, but the dad has other ideas.

"I think the kids should pay for the laser removal," he tells the paper.

Charged in the incident are Blake VanNest, Donald "D.J." Wyman, Ryan Fisk and Travis Johnston. None of the suspects are juveniles. Police tell the Union Leader a 15-year-old juvenile -- who allegedly bought the tattoo gun for $30 as a souvenir -- also will be charged.
VanNest was charged with two counts of simple assault, endangering the welfare of a minor, tattooing without a license, indecent exposure, criminal threatening and breach of bail.

Fisk was charged with two counts of simple assault, endangering the welfare of a minor, tattooing without a license, sale of a controlled drug, criminal threatening and breach of bail.

Wyman was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal liability for the conduct of another and conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a minor.

Johnson was charged with conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a minor.

Fisk allegedly did the actual tattooing. When he was done, he and the others reportedly took the boy outside Johnston's home where a group of students waited to look and laugh while the victim was forced to drop his pants. Fisk allegedly gave the victim a bag of marijuana as payment for the humiliation.

According to court documents, VanNest told police the tattoo was his idea and admitted that he preyed on the younger, unpopular and frequently picked-on boy.

Tragically, this incident could likely have been avoided, Dr. Michele Borba, an educational psychologist who has written 23 books on parenting, tells ParentDish.

Borba keeps a picture of an 11-year-old boy who was bullied to death in her pocket as a reminder of what can happen when bullying goes unchecked.

Adults need to spot the warning signs of bullying, she says. The problem almost always starts gradually and escalates.

"That's the cold-blooded viciousness of it," she says.

Notice the alleged bullies in this case threatened to "stop" if the victim got the tattoo, Borba says. That means he had been tormented for some time. And kids knew it: That's why they were talking about it in the halls. That's why there was an audience waiting for him to drop his pants.

She suggests schools offer anonymous tip boxes to be alerted to bullies. The trick is to make a general comment box, she adds, so kids won't be afraid to be seen dropping in notes.

Researchers at the University of Toronto did a study on bullying to find out who are the most likely targets and found bullies will pick on just about any mental or physical difference they can find.

Parents should try to pinpoint such vulnerabilities first, Borba says.

"What parents need to do is get in the shoes of the kid," she says.

That way, she adds, parents and children can rehearse responses and comebacks that diffuse bullies rather than giving them the emotional reactions they crave.

"We need to teach kids these comebacks also as a life skill," Borba says.

Kids also need to learn to stay safe by avoiding isolated bathrooms, locker areas and other places where bullies can do their business away from watchful adults, Borba says. For example, she adds, kids can sit to the school bus driver's immediate right -- the most defensible position on the bus.

Borba also says kids need safe havens at school where they can turn in times of trouble. This could be the school nurse or their beloved band director. They must have someone and someplace to go to when parents aren't available, she says.

"Someone needs to be the listener," Borba says. "Our kids need someone to be their hero or savior."

The tattoo victim's father tells the Union Leader his son was handling the incident well until it became public.

"He's overwhelmed with it," he says.

The parents of his son's girlfriend reportedly called to say they don't want the boy contacting her anymore.

"I respect her parents' wishes, but it wasn't his fault," the father says. "He's lost his first love over this."

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TheTalkies:RelatedVideos

David Beckham Shows Off Harper Tattoo In New Fragrance AdDavid Beckham not only took his shirt off again, but he is publicly showing off his Harper tattoo in his latest fragrance campaign. As you can see the tattoo sits right above his tattoo where Jesus is being carried by three cherubs, which are meant to symbolize his three boys Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

oxjr: Really? The sexuality of the perps has nothing to do with what they did. Have you ever been in a public men's restroom? There are pictures of male genitalia all over the walls, and most of the people who draw them are straight. Furthermore, men in prison who regularly engage in gay sex often become straight as soon as they are released. The image chosen for the tattoo and the location had less to do with sex and more to do with dominance. Despite this I do agree that it is a form of sexual assault and should be dealt with accordingly.

And to the parents of the victim's girlfriend, if you're reading this, you should be concerned over his well being and acting supportive, not engaging in the bullying yourselves. Shame on you.

here in porter county indiana, those "in charge" ignore bullies of all ages, child rapists are free with the right lawyer, school bullies are ignored. the no tolerence policy punishes the child that defends him or herself.

Okay I thought bullying was bad at my school, but this is just cruel. No kid should have to go through that, espicially one with a disorder. Those boys should go to jail for what they did and they really should pay for the laser treatment. They should get tattooes on there asses and see how it feels.

Not just tattooes on their asses, Courtney, tattooes of PENISES on their asses, that way when they're in jail for their crimes, they can allow the other inmates to identify them and give them what's coming to them. Don't drop the soap in the shower, fellas!

I agree, these boys should be put into prison for several years until they turn 21 at least and labeled as sex offenders for the rest of their lives. These are the kids who grow up to be serial rapists and killers. The community has a right to know who they are and to protect against them.Their parents should be held responsible as well for failure to supervise their criminal offspring and forced to pay for that boy's laser removal and for therapy to get over his mental anguish.

*Valhalla, if it had been your child, you'd be the first to jump up and down and scream for justice! On second thought you're probably a bully too and call your own kid a loser.

What these createns did is sick. But it doesn't surprise me that the school teachers look the other way. Three years ago I found out that my son was bullying a child on the bus. I pulled him off the bus and made him walk to school. The next day I had DCF, and the police on my door step and was charged with neglect , The school Principal reported me for making my 14 year old walk a mile and a half to school. We wonder why these kids grow up with a sense of entitlement. Don't just blame the parents

Those bullies should be given a long prison sentence. They will probably be bullied by the inmates at their prison. This will give them a taste of their own medicine. The boy who was tatooed against his will, along with his parents should sue the bullies and their parents in addition to any criminal sanctions taken against the bullies. Also the boy's parents should sue the school for failing to protect the boy from bullies.

I do not feel it is the schools fault they can not protect everyone and most of them are afraid of the bullies coming back after them. The boy should of been talking with his parents for one thing and if he had the parents should have interevened. The brats need to pay the price because it will just continue.

mary sadly the parent or any adult dont give a what there children do.any more we will just see more an more of this i said this so many times al ready i have to say koodoes to those who shoot the b,s becouse no one care appently an sadly the thay say that kid was crazy .no just taking it the only way he thought. thats what its come to

The school has to know about the bullying before it can protect you from it.The article doesn't say how many students are in the school, but an average size high school has over 1000. Why is it thats seems to be everyones answer for everything now days, sue them, sue them, sue them. Money isn't going to change the humilation that this boy felt or the fix the psychological and physical damange that it has done.

ADD sex offenders to the list also, to be added onto their prison sentences! This is clearly child porn(taking pictures), no if ands or buts about it

I used to be bullied at school for a while i took my parents advice to just turn the other cheek, but that didn't work and the teachers always looked the other way because the bullies were kids to the city council.

So one day we were let out early, because we had a sub and had an extra hour to have lunch well that didn't work too well.

You see because the high-school would lunch with us. I had to ride the bus to school and after school with my tormentors.

The tormentors found me reading a book like i always was propped up against the school out in the sun. The stood in my light, i kindly requested them to move in a monotone voice, "Your blocking my light". They took my book out of my hands and ripped it to shreds all the while laughing at me, and kicking dust and gravel in my direction. Well i calmly stood up dusted myself off, cracked my knuckles and beat the shit out of them. I never had a bully issue after that.

The kids tried to accuse me later on, but the teachers just said i was reading, lol!

I am happy to hear that you were able to show them that you were not going to take their crap anymore. The trouble is that they (bullies) most always watch, study, and scoop out their victims before they start in on them. They make sure that their victims are weaker in one way or another. This is how the cowards operator.

Good for you for fighting back. I believe in turning the other cheek...but sometimes you have to stand up and fight. Just a fact of life.And I agree with those who consider this a sexual assault. It is. I'm surprised the charges mentioned in this article have not included sexual assualt. What the heck is "simple assault"? Nothing simple about having your butt tattooed...and then photographed by a crowd of teenagers. Horrifying.

TheTalkies

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